Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Granting

Granted, we have just put a Marxist in the highest position in the land (a land that was once run on a free market basis).Granted, the nation that 'didn't care who you were but what you could do' just elected a bigot (yes, blacks hating whites actually scores as racism, just as much as whites hating blacks. Surprise, surprise).Granted, that epitome of anti-Americanism, Rev. Wright, had the pastoring and guiding of the now Mr. President (who is, by the way, the President of the United States of America).Granted, the fully named Barrack Hussein Obama has the sound of some jihad thug out to kill 'infidels'.Granted, all the ironic, sad, scary 'changes' that Obama will bring to our nation....... what now? What does the Book of books have to say about leaders, evil or not?

The Bible makes two things clear:What the role of government is, andThat we are to respect the positions of authority

The authority punishes evildoers and rewards the innocent. That's their job. “Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain...[he is] an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” (Romans 13:3-4) How difficult can that be? Walk in uprightness and escape the king's scourge, do evil and be cut down.

What should government be doing? Watching out for bad guys to lock them up and protecting the defenseless. So that they can do their job “Render therefore to all their doe: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” (Rm. 13:7) However, the Book says nothing about what happens when government steps outside of its role.

No matter what a lying, scoffing, wicked wretch he happens to be, the ruler is the authority. Not THE authority, you understand. That would be Christ. We are to “...submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors” (1Pt. 2:13-14), because “...there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” (Rm. 13:1) Remember that the Lord allowed this man to be elected and trust Him as the Sovereign over all lords.

God created government and establishes rulers (Rm.13:1). Both are good, if only because He created them. In Man's sinful state, they will be corrupted, and they will be evil, but they're there for a reason. They have a purpose. Pray for our leaders.